Kesler is one of the best shutdown centers in the league, and has shown he can also be an offensive force by putting up 40 goals.

I think we are all aware, especially Canuck fans even though they do not want to admit it, that Kesler is not likely to hit 40 goals again. This coming from someone who watched him play since he was 15 years old with the NTDP. He just doesn't have that kind of offensive talent. He's developed a very good wrist shot since those days, but his release isn't elite by a long shot and there isn't too much else going on in his arsenal to make you think of him as a consistent 40 goal scorer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvoLu7ioN

Tavares is a potential franchise player, no doubt in my mind he'll put up 100+ for a few seasons, but he will never be as complete as Kesler. He's not a great skater, he doesn't have a seperation gear or explosiveness, no physical edge to his game, and he doesn't have great size, all of which is necessary to be an elite 2 way center. Yes. he's already quite a bit better than kesler offensively, but there's more to the game than that.

Actually, none of that is necessary, Datsyuk is a perfect present day example. Tavares isn't there yet, his defensive abilities improved 10-fold last season. His skating is actually a lot better than you make it seem, he does have seperation ability as he showcased last season, and more importantly, his hockey IQ is through the roof. He's also relentless everywhere on the ice, which combined with his IQ will allow him to be a top defensive player along with already being a top offensive player. He's well on his way already.

Kesler's simply nowhere near as valuable as Tavares right now, forget about the next few years as Tavares continues to emerge.